Seesaw



Junel, 1948. R. A. HIGGINS 2,442,543

sEEsAw Filed oct. 25, 1945 INVENToR. ,QALPH ,4. Hwa/N5 fram/EY PatentedJune 1, 1948 UNl'i'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to se'esaws or teeters and has for its primaryobject to provide an amusement device of the type referred to which isdurable, safe, and simple of construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a seesaw embodying ahandle and a footrest tor each seat thereof, the handles and foot restsbeing so arranged that the person on the seat which has the higherelevation, can exert a greater power or force than can the person on thelower seat, to cause descending of the elevated seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seesaw having points ofapplication oi power associated with each seat thereof, said pointshaving equal power advantage when the seesaw is level and increased anddecreased power advantage for the points of the respective elevated anddepressed seats.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seesaw of novel designand structure including novel seat 'structures oi effective, sturdy andsimple design.

My invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in'. operation, convenient in use, easily installed in aworking posi'- tion and easily disconnected therefrom, economical ofmanufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority andserviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction land novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully app-ear inthe course of the following description. However, the drawings merelysho-w and the following description merely describes one embodiment ofthe present invention, which is given by way of illustration or exampleonly.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts inthe several views.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a seesaw embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof in the position of maximumheight differential of the seats of the seesaw.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of one of the seats.

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged sectional View as taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view as taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

The seesaw as illustrated may be Isaid to comprise, generally, a supportI0', a teetering frame Il mounted on the support, and seat structures I2 and I3 on either end of the teetering frame I I.

The support lil, as shown, comprises spaced 'standards I4 and I5,connected at their tops by a cross bar I6 and intermediate their height,by a cross bar I'I. The standards may be embedded in a concrete orsimilar base I8 whereby they are rigidly supported. The standards areprovided with aligned suitably spaced holes I9l oiering selective pivotpoints for the teetering frame II.

The teetering drame II comprises balancing beams 20 and 2|, spaced tomount on pivots 22 and 23, respectively, in selected holes I 9 in thesupport I0. In the present instance, the beam- 20 is relatively strongerstructurally than the beam 2l so that it serves as the main beam of thestructure whereas the beam 2I serves as a stretcher. The seat structuresI-2 and I3 are pivotally connected to the beams 2l!A and 2I at therespective pivots 24 and 25, and 26 and 21, so that said beams aremaintained in parallel relation under all positions of the teeteringframe I I. The spacings between the pivots 22, 23, the pivots 24, 25,and the pivots 2'6, 2-1 are similar so that the beams 20 and 2| areparallel.

The seat structures I2 and I3 are each formed with a faired support 28having a generally U- shaped section and of substantially triangularconfiguration, whereby each support is open at the bottom and at theside toward the teetering trame. The other side of :each faired supportis closed by the rounded baseiof the U-shapedvsection. The opposed walls2'9 and 3l!v of each support is stiiiened'by embossed ribs `3|. Eachseat structure is also provided with a horizontal seat 32 extendingroutward of the respective supports 29 and provided with a recess inwhich said supports t. The relatedsupport and seat of each seatstructure are suitably secured together by spot welding or the like.

From the foregoingstructure it will be seen that the seats 32 willmaintain their horizontal position under all positions of the teeteringframe ll |and that a person is comfortably accommodated on 'each seat 32with his or her legs straddling the support 28.

The seesaw is provided with a handle bar and a foot bar for each seatstructure. 'Ihe handle bar 33 for the seat structure I2 is locatedadjacent the pivot 25 and extends transversely through the support 28 ofsaid structure. The handle bar 34 for the seat structure I3 is similarlylocated adjacent the pivot 21 of said support structure. The foot bar35, associated with the seat structure I2, is carried by a downwardlyand outwardly projecting bracket 36 from the beam 20. The foot bar 31for the seat structure I3 is similarly carried by a bracket `38. Thebrackets 36 and 38 are 3 oppositely directed so that the distancebetween the foot bars 35 and 3'! is greater than the distance betweenthe pivots 24 and 26.

It will be noted that dot-dash lines have been drawn to connect thehandle 33, the pivot 24 and the foot bar 35 on one side of the seesaw,and that similar lines have been drawn to connect the handle 34, thepivot 26 and the foot bar 3l on the other side of the seesaw. Assumingthe teetering frame to be horizontal, it will be evident that the anglesformed by said lines would be equal and opposite on both sides of theseesaw. A

Accordingly, persons on both seats of the seesaw can apply comparableforce or power to the see-V saw to cause it to teeter. Upon one seatbecoming elevated and the other depressed, the mentioned angles willchange. elevated seat will become progressively more acute and the angleat the depressed seat progressively more obtuse until a straight angleis obtained. Continued depression of the depressed seat will cause itsangle to become reversed or opposite so that said latter angle is nolonger opposite to that of the elevated seat but in the same direction.Fig. 2 shows this latter condition. It is evident that the person on theelevated seat can exert a powerful push on the foot bar seeking tostraighten the angle formed by said foot bar and its related handle barand pivot. However, the person on the depressed seat cannot exert acounteracting comparable force. It follows, that the person on thedepressed seat is at a disadvantage to apply a sufficient force on theseesaw to keep the person on the elevated seat raised. Y

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as thepreferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course,subject to modications without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to theparticular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire toavail myself ofrall modifications that may fall within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: 1. In a seesaw, a teetering frame includingvertically spaced beams, a pivotal support therefor, a seat structure ateach end of said beams having a saddle pivotally connected to said beamsand provided with a horizontal extension forming a seat, the lower beamhaving a downwardly extending member at each end directed outwardlytherefrom and under said seat, and a foot rest carried by said membersat theends thereof and supported by said members free of said beams.

2. In a seesaw, a teetering frame including vertically spaced beams,pivotal supporting means The angle at the therefor, seats pivotallyconnected at opposite ends of the beams, handles connected with theupper beam adjacent the ends thereof, the lower beam having downwardlyextending members adjacent the ends thereof, and foot rests carried bysaid members, whereby, at the elevated end of the seesaw, a line passingthrough the foot rest and the lower pivot and a line passing through thehandle and said lower pivot include an angle that is of much lessmagnitude than the included angle between corresponding lines throughthe foot rest and lower pivot and the handle and lower pivot of thedepressed end of the seesaw.

3. In a seesaw, a teetering frame comprising vertically spaced parallelbeams, a substantially central pivot therefor, a seat structurepivotally connected to each end of both beams and each comprising anupstanding saddle pivotally connected to said beams and provided with anextension forming a seat at each end'of the frame, a handle on each ofsaid seat structures adjacent and parallel to the pivotal connectionthereof with the upper beam, a rigid member fixed to each end of thelower of said beams, said members each being downwardly andlongitudinally outwardly directed so that the ends thereof extend beyondthe ends of said lower beam, and a foot rest carried transversely byeach of said members at the outer ends thereof.

4. In a seesaw, a teetering frame including vertically spaced beams, apivotal support therefor, a seat structure at each end of said beamshaving a saddle pivotally connected to said beams and provided with ahorizontal extension forming a seat, the lower beam having a downwardlyextending member at each end directed longitudinally outwardly beyondthe ends of said lower beam, and a foot rest carried by the outwardlydirected end of each member, whereby with the frame in level position,the foot rests are disposed beneath the seats, and whereby with theframe angularly disposed the elevated foot rest assumes a positionrelatively nearer to the seat associated therewith and the depressedfoot rest assumes a position relatively further from the seat associatedtherewith.

RALPH A. HIGGINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 822,083 Stevens May 29, 19061,553,418 Watts Sept. 5, 1925 2,033,523 Husted et al Mar. 10, 19,36

